Frontlines Feed: The Latest from SLDN
Celebrating LGBT Veterans with AGLA
On Sunday, I was honored to represent SLDN and join the Arlington Gay and Lesbian Alliance (AGLA) at Congressional Cemetery for its annual memorial service honoring LGBT veterans. Held at the grave site of Air Force Technical Sergeant Leonard Matlovich, veterans, current service members and allies gathered to honor those who have come before us, as well as the new generation of LGBT military leaders.
Just a year ago, and only a few months after my own “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” discharge, I remember the same memorial but with a different tone: we were still advocating for LGBT service members who were serving in silence. This year, with a successful vote, certification and repeal behind us, we were able to celebrate history, knowing that for the first time gay and lesbian members of the military could not be discharged under DADT. Attendees of the memorial event reflected on this fact, acknowledging that there is still work to be done before full equality is achieved.
With Veterans Day approaching later this week, we take time to thank all the brave Americans, including the LGBT patriots and their families, who have sacrificed so much for the well-being of this country. We recognize the commitments of everyone who has ever worn a military uniform and salute them for their service.
11-09-11 By Danny Hernandez, SLDN Development & Communications Assistant | Comment (0)
It’s Time to Honor Every Veteran
Last week, President Obama issued a proclamation to mark Veterans Day, a “tribute to our veterans, to the fallen, and to their families.” We thank the President for this important acknowledgement, and as veterans, we salute all that he and the First Lady continue to do on behalf of those who have worn the uniform of the United States of America.
From the proclamation: “We offer our sincere appreciation and respect to our veterans, to their families, to those who are still in harm's way, and to those we have laid to rest, let us rededicate ourselves to serving them as well as they have served the United States of America.”
Sadly, our nation’s LGBT veterans and service members are still treated as if their sacrifices to this country are not as deserving as the service of their heterosexual peers. That’s why we joined the lawsuit brought by SLDN recently on behalf of married gay and lesbian service members past and present – and their families – to receive the same recognition, support and benefits as their straight, married counterparts.
Read more about the lawsuit: http://www.sldn.org/Equality4Families
We are the two retired veterans in the law suit, and between us, we have almost sixty years of service. We earned those benefits, and we have families, just like our straight counterparts, who deserve recognition. We have made the same sacrifices, faced the same dangers and taken the same risks as all others who served.
It’s time for our nation to honor every veteran equally.
Captain Darrah (left) pictured with her wife Lynne Kennedy.
Colonel Stewart Bornhoft (right) pictured with his husband Stephen McNabb
11-08-11 By Colonel Stewart Bornhoft, USA (Retired) and Captain Joan Darrah, USN (Retired) | Comment (0)
Will I See You in California?
In September, I retired after twenty years of service to the Air Force - a day I didn’t think I would see. After nearly three years of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” investigations and discharge proceedings– with SLDN by my side providing the legal help I needed to stay in the military– I was able to retire on time and receive my full retirement benefits.
But SLDN’s work is far from over. Last week, they filed suit in federal court, challenging DOMA and other federal statutes that prevent gay and lesbian military families from receiving the same recognition, benefits, and support as their straight, married peers. To learn more about the suit, click here.
That’s why I’m traveling the country to help strengthen support for SLDN. This week, I’ll be in Southern California with SLDN Executive Director Aubrey Sarvis, and I hope you will join us for one of the events below. We’ll be discussing the end of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and SLDN’s ongoing work to achieve full LGBT equality in our military.
San Diego: Thursday, November 3rd: www.sldn.org/SanDiego2011
West Hollywood: Saturday, November 5th: www.sldn.org/WestHollywood2011
We hope to see you there!
11-02-11 By Lt. Col. Victor Fehrenbach, USAF (Ret.) | Comment (0)
Guest Blog: Remembering Frank Kameny
10-12-11 By Bob Witeck, CEO, Witeck-Combs Communications, Inc. | Comment (0)
‘Tis the Season
The Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) season is upon us. This means military personnel, as well as federal and state employees, have the opportunity to help organizations like SLDN through this once-a-year initiative. You can find us under the Military, Veteran & Patriotic Service Organization section, #12111.
If you are currently using the CFC to make your charitable donations, we urge you to list Servicemembers Legal Defense Network and help fund our ongoing work to ensure full LGBT equality in our military. With “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) now in the history books, we need your help more than ever as we continue our work on behalf of the nation’s LGBT service members. That includes:
- Representing and defending those who may face harassment or discrimination as we oversee implementation of DADT repeal
- Advocating for legally married service members to receive the same family support and benefits as their straight married counterpart
- Litigating in the courts, as necessary and timely, to advance equality
- Assisting veterans to correct or upgrade their discharge paperwork
- Fighting for full LGBT equality in America’s military
But remember, the CFC is just one way to support the work of equality. You can also make a direct gift to help us today by clicking here.
Regardless of how you choose to support SLDN as we head into the final months of 2011, we thank you for your continued support. Our successes could not have happened without your commitment to our cause, and I know our future will hold many more as we work together toward full equality for every LGBT patriot in America.
10-11-11 By Aubrey Sarvis, Army Veteran and SLDN Executive Director | Comment (0)
Guest Blog: Bridget Wilson Pays Tribute to Paula Ettelbrick
10-10-11 By Bridget Wilson, Attorney, Rosenstein, Wilson & Dean | Comment (0)
A Promise Kept: Honoring Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi
10-05-11 By Julian Chang, Member, SLDN Board of Directors | Comment (0)
Making Sense of the Ninth Circuit Court Decision on DADT
10-04-11 By David McKean (Legal Director, SLDN), John Goodman (Of Counsel, SLDN), Kulsoom Naqvi (Legal Fellow, SLDN) | Comment (0)
Admiral Mullen’s Legacy Reflects the Essence of True Leadership
09-30-11 By Zoe Dunnning, U.S. Navy Commander (Ret.) and SLDN Board Co-Chair | Comment (0)
SLDN Salutes the Extraordinary Service of JCS Chairman Admiral Mike Mullen
Tomorrow, Admiral Mike Mullen will retire as the seventeenth Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The Pentagon and our country will honor his 43 years of service with a well-deserved ceremony, and indeed, Admiral Mullen, in his four years as Chairman, has overseen international conflicts, two wars, and policy changes including the historic repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT).
In 2010, during a hearing on the repeal of DADT, Admiral Mullen told the Senate Armed Services Committee: “No matter how I look at the issue, I cannot escape being troubled by the fact that we have in place a policy that forces young men and women to lie about who they are in order to defend their fellow citizens. For me, personally, it comes down to integrity: Theirs as an individual, ours as an institution.”
Only a few inside the White House and Pentagon knew what was coming at that hearing. Certainly no one in the media, advocates, members of Congress, or bloggers knew what Admiral Mullen would say. But his words proved to be a critical turning point in the repeal debate. Admiral Mullen and Secretary Robert Gates set the tone and became a focal point during much of the repeal debate as they moved forward smartly on what President Obama had tasked them to do. Their voices allowed members of Congress, the military, and the American people to see senior military leaders and the rank and file in action as they eventually reached a thoughtful and measured decision to support repeal.
Admiral Mullen, probably more than any other military leader, provided the steady assurances that many people were looking for in this debate. More importantly, the JCS Chairman never underestimated his military’s ability to adapt and make this needed change. While he made it known that allowing gay and lesbian service members to be open about who they are in the military was simply “the right thing to do,” it was the military, his military, not Congress, not the courts, that ultimately made this historic change.
The fight is not over; we know there is more work to be done. But the monumental repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” would not have been possible without Admiral Mullen’s dedication to integrity and service. We salute Admiral Mullen’s commitment to honoring all our men and women in uniform. Our military and our country are stronger because of his decades of leadership and commitment to all service members and their families.
SLDN wishes Admiral and Mrs. Mullen well and good health as they embark upon the next exciting chapter in their remarkable lives.
09-29-11 By Aubrey Sarvis, Army Veteran and SLDN Executive Director | Comment (0)
